TOURISTS FLEE SIKKIM, DARJEELING – National Highway 31A to remain close for traffic; Sikkim not exempted

GANGTOK/DARJEELING: The indefinite bandh called by the Gorkha Jan Mukti Morcha (GJMM) from tomorrow in the Darjeeling Hills has once again put Sikkim in a difficult situation. Panic-stricken tourists thronged the motor stands in the Capital since the afternoon as the news of the indefinite strike called by the GJMM spread. The fact that the GJMM has not left the National Highway 31A connecting Sikkim with the rest of the country out of the purview of the bandh, has made matters worse for the tourists.

Desperate tourists, in an attempt to get out of the State before the bandh tomorrow were seen at the motor stand in Deorali and the SNT Bus stand, looking for vehicles to take them to Siliguri. They were even willing to pay whatever the money the drivers demanded just to get out of the situation poised by the indefinite bandh call. “I arrived just two days ago and had hotel reservations till Wednesday. But I have been forced to cut short my visit and rush out,” said Sudipta Dutta, a tourist from Calcutta, even as he searched for vehicles leaving the Capital for Siliguri around 5 pm today with four other members of his family in tow. The scene at the Mainline Taxi Stand at Deorali was chaotic. Harassed tourists were seen pleading with drivers to take them to Siliguri immediately. “The situation is very bad. There are hardly enough vehicles to ferry the stranded tourists. We are doing the best we can,” a visibly troubled tour operator said.

Some tourists had also reached the SNT bus stand, hoping that the Government would press emergency bus service to take the tourists to Siliguri.  The Sikkim Police tried to assist the tourists in getting vehicles although the drivers were charging double the actual fare. According to the drivers, the reason for the double rates is because they have to return back from Siliguri tonight itself. Earlier, in a meeting held in Darjeeling today, GJMM leaders told the Police to leave the hills by this evening. They also told the tourists to leave the hills. The situation was similar in Darjeeling today, where hundreds of tourists attempted leave the town. “It is utter chaos here. We’ve already have had 80 percent cancellations and most of our guests have already checked out. This is not good for the tourism industry,” Sandeep, a manager in a local hotel in Darjeeling said.

Cautioning that the indefinite strike this time would be quite serious, GJMM central committee member from Dooars, Madhukar Thapa said that the meeting also announced to stop Delhi, Kolkata and Patna bound trains. There are chances that inflation may rise, not to mention serious affect on students looking for schools and colleges outside the State. “We have told the tourists to leave. Though we allowed vehicles to run on Monday, transport will not be allowed from Tuesday,” GJMM president Bimal Gurung told news reporters in Darjeeling.

Tourists, who were unable to leave today, could be assisted by the GJM to leave Darjeeling, he said. “We have also told tourist operators in Kolkata not to send tourists from Tuesday because of the indefinite bandh which will inconvenience them,” Mr Gurung said. The bandh was called by GJMM to protest the police lathicharge on its supporters on Sunday after a clash with supporters of two organisations Jana Jagaran and Jana Chetna which Gurung alleges were backed by the State’s ruling CPI (M).

“The Jana Jagaran and Jana Chetna have been propped up by CPI (M) which they are using against us and attacking our supporters and also those on hunger strike to demand permission for holding a rally at Naxalbari, which the administration has turned down,” he said. The GJMM president has further demanded the Centre’s intervention adding “our movement for a separate state of Gorkhaland is democratic, which is sought to be suppressed.” [Sikkim Express]